• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2016

Background: Construction painters have not been studied well in terms of their hazards exposure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the exposure levels of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) for painters in the construction industry. Methods: Activity-specific personal air samplings were carried out in three waterproofing activities [polyurethane (PU), asphalt, and cement mortar] and three painting activities (epoxy, oil based, and water based) by using organic-vapor-monitor passive-sampling devices. Gas chromatograph with flame ionization detector could be used for identifying and quantifying individual organic chemicals. The levels of TVOCs, by summing up 15 targeted substances, were expressed in exposure-index (EI) values. Results: As arithmetic means in the order of concentration levels, the EIs of TVOCs in waterproofing works were 10.77, 2.42, 1.78, 1.68, 0.47, 0.07, and none detected (ND) for indoor PU-primer task, outdoor PU-primer task, outdoor PU-resin task, indoor PU-resin task, asphalt-primer task, asphalt-adhesive task, and cement-mortar task, respectively. The highest EI for painting works was 5.61 for indoor epoxyprimer task, followed by indoor epoxy-resin task (2.03), outdoor oil-based-spray-paint task (1.65), outdoor water-based-paint task (0.66), and indoor oil-based-paint task (0.15). Assuming that the operations were carried out continuously for 8 hours without breaks and by using the arithmetic means of EIs for each of the 12 tasks in this study, 58.3% (7 out of 12) exceeded the exposure limit of 100% (EI > 1.0), while 8.3% (1 out of 12) was in 50e100% of exposure limit (0.5 > EI > 1.0), and 4 tasks out of 12 were located in less than 50% of the limit range (EI < 0.5). Conclusion: From this study, we recognized that construction painters are exposed to various solvents, including carcinogens and reproductive toxins, and the levels of TVOC concentration in many of the painting tasks exceeded the exposure limits. Construction workers need to be protected from chemical agents during their painting works by using personal protective devices and/or work practice measures. Additional studies should focus on the exposure assessment of other hazards for construction workers, in order to identify high-risk tasks and to improve hazardous work environments.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.26-35
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• 2023

Generally, solvent-type coatings generate a large amount of volatile organic chemicals(VOC), which are carcinogenic substances, in the manufacturing process, and their use is regulated due to environmental problems. There is also the problem of resource depletion due to limited fossil fuels. Therefore, in this study, UV-curable urethane acrylate oligomers were synthesized with different contents of isosorbide, which is a biomass material, and proceeded to evaluate the physical properties of coatings. As the isosorbide contents increased, the viscosity, glass transition temperature, tensile strength, stain resistance, and pencil hardness increased, but elongation and flexibility decreased, and BOI-3 showed the best adhesion. The isosorbide content of the oligomer fixed at 20%, UV-curable urethane acrylate oligomer was synthesized according to the content ratio of polycaprolactone diol(PCL) and Ecoprol H1000(Ecoprol). As the PCL/Ecoprol content ratio increased, the glass transition temperature, elongation, and flexibility increased, but the tensile strength and pencil hardness decreased. It was confirmed that the adhesion and stain resistance increased by improving the surface bonding strength of PCL. All films of oligomers synthesized were transparent without discoloration.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.4B
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• pp.441-447
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• 2008

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from various industrial sources commonly consist of biodegradable chemicals and recalcitrant compounds. Therefore, it is not effective to employ a single method to treat such mixtures. In this study, a novel hybrid system coupled with a ultraviolet (UV) photolysis reactor and a biofilter in a series was developed and evaluated using toluene and TCE as model VOCs. When only TCE was applied to the UV reactor, greater than 99% of TCE was degraded and the concentration of soluble byproducts from photo-oxidation reaction increased significantly. However, the toluene and TCE mixture was not effectively degraded by the UV photo-oxidation standalone process. The hybrid system showed high toluene removal efficiencies, and TCE degradation at a low toluene/TCE ratio was improved by UV pretreatment. These findings indicated that the UV photo-oxidation were effective for TCE degradation when the concentration of toluene in the mixture was relatively low. A restively high toluene content in the mixture resulted in an inhibition of TCE degradation. Thus, chemical interactions in both photo-oxidation and biodegradation need to be carefully considered to enhance overall performance of the hybrid system.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.774-779
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• 1988

The essential oil of Artemiisa lavandulaefolia DC was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The oil was stored at different conditions for 6 weeks and the changes of color and chemical composition during storage were checked by GC/MS. The experimental results were as follows; (1) More than 186 chemicals were detected by GC. Major components were 1,8-cineol, thujone, camphor, borneol, coumarin, 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran and ${\beta}-biasbolene$. In this study, 3,3,6-trimethyl norpinanol, ${\beta}-farnesene,\;{\alpha}-curmene$ and 7-methoxy coumarin were detected as new compounds in Artemisia species. (2) It was proved that temperature and/ or light had and important effect on the changes of color and volatile components of the essential oil. The relative amounts of limonene and 1.8-cineol were decreasad, on the other hand, ${\beta}-phellandrene\;and\;{\alpha}-terpineol$ were increased during storage.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2007

This study has been focused on an application of microwave pre-treatment of soil contaminated with volatile organic chemicals, and BTEX(benzene, toluene, ethylene, xylene). Microwave experiments were carried out under different power conditions (2 kW, 4 kW) using different moisture contents and BTEX concentration. According to these results of this study, the most BTEX removal efficiency was with 20% moisture contents regardless of electric power. The result show that 2kW was determined to the optimum electric power at $10{\sim}30%$ moisture contents, but the optimum power was 4 kW at 50% of moisture content.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.179-185
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• 2010

Benzene is known as a ubiquitous air pollutant and has a carcinogenic influence on the human body. Benzene is also metabolized to other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the body such as phenol and hydroquinone (HQ). The metabolites are accumulated and further oxidized by myeloperoxidase in bone marrow. They act as toxic agents and cause a variety of diseases, including cancer, atopic dermatitis and asthma. In this study, we examined the effects of benzene and its metabolites on proliferation, differentiation and chemotaxis of EoL-1 cells, the human eosinophilic leukemia cell line. These chemicals had no effect on the proliferation of EoL-1 cells. Benzene decreased the differentiation of EoL-1 cells induced by butyric acid. HQ was induced the cell death during butyric acid-induced EoL-1 cell differentiation. In a chemotaxis experiment, benzene, phenol and HQ enhanced the cell migration induced by Lkn-1 but not by MCP-1, eotaxin, MIP-$1{\alpha}$ and RANTES. These findings provide the effect of VOCs on the regulation of eosinophil-involved immune response.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.87-98
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• 2001

There has been increased interest in the health effects of the Environmental Tobacco Smoke(ETS) as a confirmed human carcinogen. It has been known to be extremely difficult to make an accurate assessment of exposure to ETS since it is consisted of a variety of components and there are a number of labile chemicals. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain, to interpretate and to provide the data of quantitative exposure assessment to ETS in the field of environmental health. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the concentration of ETS using VOC in indoor office environments. The correlations and concentrations of benzene, RSP, 3-EP, nicotine that are indicators for ETS were investigate with smoking density, air change per hour(ventilation rate). Air samples were taken in smoking room(7 sites), smoking allowed office (3 sites), corridor outside smoking room(7 sites), non-smoking office (9 sites). The concentrations of benzene showed significant difference according to category of indoor office environments. The geometric mean concentration of benzene were 23.56 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$/㎥(range 4.80~192.90 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$/㎥) in smoking rooms. 6.16 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$/㎥ in smoking allowed offices, 1.32 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$/㎥ in the non-smoking offices respectively. The ratios of the concentration of benzene between outdoor air and smoking room, smoking allowed office, and non-smoking indicators concentrations, SD, and SI were 0.82(benzene and nicotine). 0.76(benzene and RSP), 0.60(benzene and SD), 0.76(benzene and SI). It is proposed that benzene is a good indicator for ETS.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.455-469
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• 2008

VOCs (Volatile organic compounds) are known as one of the harmful chemicals, causing cancer and global warming. Therefore, the proper control, removal, and reduction of the emission of VOCs are important tasks for the environmental protection. Among the method of VOCs removal activated carbon bed is the most efficient and economical method. In this study, the adsorption performance of toluene gas was investigated using various activated carbons. To find out the adsorption efficiency, the H/D (Height/Diameter) of the activated carbon and GHSV (Gas Hourly Space Velocity) of the toluene gas were manipulated with various conditions. The effect of the temperature, humidity and toluene-MEK-IPA mixed gas on adsorption were also investigated. As a result, a high adsorption performance was found when GHSV is lower at room temperature and low humidity. It was also found that the adsorption efficiency of toluene-MEK-IPA mixed gas system was lower than that of toluene gas system.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1463-1468
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• 2007

Emission of methyl bromide(MeBr) of soil fumigant was implicated in stratospheric ozone depletion. To determine the environmental fate for 1,3-dichloropene(1,3-D) of alternatives fumigants for MeBr, this paper researched the transformation for 1,3-D in water and soil. Half lives of cis-1,3-D in water with first-order kinetics are 9.9day and 1.7day at $25^{\circ}C\;and\;40^{\circ}C$, half lives of trans-1,3-D are 8.6day and 1.5day at $25^{\circ}C\;and\;40^{\circ}C$, respectively. Transformation for 1,3-D in water at high temperature faster then at low temperature. Hydrolysis for 1,3-D in water are unaffected at $pH\;2.5{\sim}pH\;10.0$, but hydrolysis for 1,3-D at pH 11.5 higher then at $pH\;2.5{\sim}pH\;10.0$. Half lives of cis-1,3-D in soil are 11.5day and 7.7day at 3% and 10% of soil moisture, half lives of trans-1,3-D are 9.9day and 6.9day at 3% and 10% of soil moisture, respectively. Transformation for 1,3-D in water increased with increasing soil moisture. Transformation for trans-1,3-D isomer are more rapid then cis-1,3-D isomer in water and soil. This research has identified that transformation for 1,3-dichloropropene are affected by temperature, pH, soil moisture, and isomer of cis and trans in water and soil.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2010

This study was conducted to compare the concentration of various air contaminants in nine different laboratories during routine activities. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) were sampled and analyzed using NIOSH Method 1500 and asbestos fibers were sampled and analyzed using NIOSH Method 9002 and 7400. Detectable levels of acetone, toluene and ethanol were found in all the laboratories and xylene and n-hexane were detected in eight of the nine laboratories. All the VOC concentrations were well below the Korean Ministry of Labor's Exposure Limit and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). Total VOC concentrations at the university laboratories were significantly higher than those at governmental agency laboratories. Airborne fiber concentrations were below 0.01 fibers/cc, while the concentration of chrysotile was 2% in insulation materials sprayed on the ceiling of one laboratory. While all the governmental agency laboratories (n=4) had fume hoods, two out of the five university laboratories did not have fume hoods. The capture velocity of half of the fume hoods were below the maintenance standard(0.4 m/sec). In conclusion, the study suggests that the current controls in place at both university and government agency laboratories are not sufficient in limiting exposure to harmful chemicals to non-detectable levels, though they appear to be adequate in protecting workers to levels below applicable occupational exposure limits. The study also suggests that researchers working in university laboratories may be exposed to greater levels of contaminant than those working in government agency laboratories.